Destiny At Work
by P2tbAnimeGirl
Summary: Loki decides to mess with destiny in order to come out victorious in his next evil scheme, except he changes Tony's gender instead! Steve, being old fashioned, is a little withdrawn from the idea of being gay. Can he finally have a shot at true love now that Tony is a woman? And what about Tony's relationship with Pepper? Tony now faces the biggest identity crisis of his life.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I've never written for this pair before so this story was a major experiment! I hope I did them justice in the portrayal of their characters.

Warning: Genderbending. Movieverse. Slight OOC. Some sexual themes, non-explicit. No Lemons.

Pairing: Steve/Fem!Tony or Cap/Fem!IronMan. Whatever you wanna call it :P

Disclaimer: I neither own nor am affiliated with Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, the director Joss Whedon, or the originnal comic writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in any way. This is a fan-made work and I do not profit from it in any way.

**Destiny At Work**

The wind from the open windows made the dim candle light of the room struggle. Loki had considered closing them, but decided it was a useless effort for the force behind his spell would probably bring them open once more. So he left the window rocking in the wind like a glass wing.

With the finishing touches upon his casting circle that lined the floor beneath his feet complete, he inhaled a deep breath and began the incantation in an ancient tongue long lost to any translation.

This was his one shot at redemption, at revenge, at victory! Now he just needed to focus on an individual, someone he wanted to see gone. But who to choose? He would love to see his oaf of a brother pay at his hand, but he wanted to do so in person. There were other worthy candidates to consider for this spell. That ugly beast, the Hulk, needed to be put in his place after what he had done in their last encounter. Captain America was annoying, but nothing too special that he couldn't be dealt with by hand at least. There was that woman, but like the captain she could've been dealt with personally had it not been for the interference of others. There was his former puppet Hawkeye to consider as well. It was best not to waste his one-time-only magic on someone he could take care of himself.

And then inspiration struck. Why not get rid of the individual who acted as leader to this group of misfits? Get rid of the glue that kept them together, that would surely secure his victory! Yes, he would target Tony Stark, the Iron Man.

With the final part of his spell complete, a target, Loki spoke the last few words necessary as the magic filled the air. Loki, as always, was correct in leaving the windows open for a harsh wind had swept through the room, extinguishing the candles and bathing the room in moonlit darkness.

The spell was complete, but its success was still unclear. Only time would tell the success of his plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 02:

Tony Stark awoke with a jump, sitting upright in his bed as the sheets folded into themselves on his lap. His breathing was heavy and he ran a shaky hand through his hair, feeling the sweat on his forehead. It had been one hell of a nightmare. But he figured that was what he got for mixing drinking and midnight snacking on three day old leftover Ruby Tuesday guacamole.

Deciding that it was useless to try going back to sleep, he threw the sheets off himself and got out of bed. But, standing upright in the darkness of his room, something felt off. Something wasn't right. His chest, it felt heavier. Bulky even. Placing a hand in the center of his chest he felt the difference of a space between his "Man Boobs". They felt larger, soft and squishy even. The feeling was weird. Now conscious of his body, he could feel that something was different in the area below the belt.

"Oh God," He gasped, as he started to move across the room towards the bathroom. Once inside the door, he smacked at the wall in an effort to find the light switch. Once it was hit, he closed his eyes for a moment at the sudden onslaught of harshly bright light. He took a moment to blink rapidly, forcing his eyes to quickly adjust. The sight that greeted him in the mirror was not what he hoped to see.

He could see the change in his facial features alone. Though his facial hair was still there, freshly trimmed and well maintained, the structure of his chin wasn't as sharp and defined. His lips, once thin, seemed to carry more volume. And his eyes now seemed to have some kind of feminine charm now that his eye lashes were twice as long.

Looking down, he saw them. The pair of breasts now attached to his chest. With his years of playboy experience he easily deducted that they were C-cup material. And, as he expected, his family jewels were missing.

At first he was speechless, staring at his reflection totally dumbstruck. How had this happened?! People didn't just wake up and find themselves swapping gender! There had to be some kind of scientific explanation for this! Not to mention a way to reverse this terrible mix-up.

Then he raced for the phone.

* * *

"What on Earth did you do?!" Pepper shouted as she got her first good look at the man (woman?) she loved.

"I didn't do anything, this time! I woke up like this! Honest!" Tony replied quickly, knowing the look that Pepper was giving him didn't mean anything good was coming.

"Have you called for a doctor?" She asked.

"No! The last thing I want is the press getting wind of this!" He replied.

"What about Bruce? Maybe he could help?" She offered. It was a good idea and one he hadn't thought of, but did he want the team to know about this? Considering that he didn't have a lot of options, this was his best bet.

He walked past Pepper to the phone and began to dial Bruce's number.

"Hello?" He asked once the dial tone stopped.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Bruce asked on the other end, his voice thick with grogginess.

"Uh, it's about 3:48 precisely." Tony replied, glancing at the digital clock on the nightstand.

"Exactly. Most normal people are asleep at this time. So this better be important." Bruce replied.

"But we aren't exactly 'normal' people, now are we? Anyways, I need you to come over to Stark Tower ASAP." Tony replied.

"Can't this wait until some reasonable hour of the morning?" Bruce asked.

"Great! I'll see you here in a little while then!" Tony responded before hanging up the phone to prevent him from negotiating the point. This left Bruce no option but to get up and come help him sort out this mess.

* * *

"So, my options? Is there any kind of radiation exposure that could have brought this out? If so, can it be reversed?" Tony asked, sitting across the kitchen table from Bruce. Pepper had offered to cook breakfast while they discussed the situation at hand. Tony knew that it was her excuse so as to not listen to their confusing scientific discussion.

"There isn't any kind of radiation exposure that I know of that could have done this to you. Even so, you would have needed excessive exposure for long periods of time for it to bring about a drastic change like this. And it would have been a gradual change, nothing as instantaneous as this." Bruce replied.

"Alright, what else can I do then?" Tony asked.

"No idea. Look, its way too early in the morning for this. I'll come back later and bring some blood work back to my lab for research. We'll figure this out. But for now, you need to shave." Bruce replied.

"Why do I have to shave?" Tony asked, suddenly confused.

"It's creepy seeing a woman with a beard." Bruce replied.

"I'm a man!"

"Not at the moment."

"My body might be that of a woman's, but my mind is still that of a man's." Tony replied.

"Look, I get that this is uncomfortable for you, but you might be stuck like this for a while. I have no idea how long it'll take me to find a way to reverse this. So you're stuck, might as well try to blend in."

"I'm Tony Stark! I'm Iron Man! I don't just _blend in_!"

"Well you're going to have to now." Bruce replied before walking out around the corner and out of sight.

"Breakfast is ready!" Pepper called then, walking into the dining room with three plates of pancakes in her hands.

"Thanks, but Banner left." Tony replied.

"Well, then it's a breakfast for two." She replied with a smile Tony knew all too well. But seeing the look on his face, she continued. "Cheer up. We'll find a way to fix this. It won't last forever."

"Yeah, thanks Pepper." Tony said before putting a forkful of pancake in his mouth. He had leaned into the table with his head on his elbow as he chewed, but found that his chest awkwardly bumped over the table. He immediately sat up straight, more aware of the awkwardness of his body.

"So, what do you have planned for the rest of the today?" Pepper asked after a while. She was trying to be optimistic, trying to give him something else to focus on, but he saw through it.

"I can't go out looking like this Pepper."

"I know that. But weren't you working on some new tech for the suit?" She asked. Working on the suit always took his mind off things.

"Yes. The suit needs an upgraded scanner. It could also use some satellite upgrades. And now that I think of it…" And he was off. Talking and talking as she listened during their breakfast.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03:

Unfortunately for Tony, the days that came to pass eventually turned into passing weeks. Bruce hadn't come any closer to figuring out what had caused the gender swap and wasn't anywhere closer to reversing it either.

Though Pepper had been extremely supportive, Tony couldn't stand being locked up in the house any longer. So he reluctantly shaved his face and combed his significantly longer hair, borrowed some of Pepper's clothes, taken a considerable about of effort to conceal his miniaturized arc reactor's glow inside his chest, and then set out for a night at the bar.

He needed a drink, but didn't want to have it at home. He just wanted to watch the social scene around him at the bar since he couldn't be at the center of it. The energy of the place was the only thing he couldn't replicate at home. Holographic social outings lacked the energy and vibe that the real thing had.

Plus his thoughts were clearer in social situations such as these, he was more comfortable, and he had a lot of thinking to do. Bruce had suggested that Tony go under the knife to get his manhood back. It was an option, but an option that Tony really didn't want to consider. But with each passing day it was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep his situation a secret.

People hadn't seen him in weeks, not too unusual when he was working on a major project, but his lack of appearances as Iron Man made some people worry. There was also the fact that he couldn't keep lying to the rest of the team. It was only a matter of time before Thor no longer bought the "great illness" excuse Pepper came up with. And Natasha had already come snooping, but Pepper managed to chase her out once and she might not be so lucky the second time. Steve called frequently and Tony could tell that he was starting to become skeptical. He also recognized that it wasn't easy for Bruce to lie to them either and nor was it fair.

He was going to have to say or do something sooner or later. Unless he decided to remain a woman. It may not be a preferable option, but it was still an option to consider…

'_No,'_ he mentally scolded himself as he ordered another drink. That was most defiantly **not **an option. He would **not** settle for being a woman. There **had** to be another way.

Tony was rather shocked at how quickly the drink arrived. He usually would've had to wait another minute or two. He'd also caught the bartender staring at him every so often. Actually, he could feel the eyes of several men upon him. Usually he looked upon the single ladies at the bar, now he was one of them. '_So that's what it feels like_,' he thought as he brought his lips to the glass.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Tony, Steve sat in the exact same bar as he did. Currently surrounded by a bunch of eager cheering sport fans as they huddled around the TV above him, Steve was working up the nerve to talk to a girl across the room from him.

This kind of thing was usually something Steve stayed away from. He just couldn't get himself back into them as he was before the crash. The fact that alcohol had no effect on him also helped to fuel his distance between these places. He didn't really see much of a point.

But Tony had suggested it to him ages ago and Natasha had convinced him to try pursuing women other than her. They had convinced him that it was time to move on and find someone else to settle down with. And so here he was, giving what his friends had advised a chance.

As the gathered crowd cheered and shouted over a homerun, Steve stood and left his seat behind as he walked towards the girl at the bar. She seemed lost in thought and didn't even notice Steve until he was right next to her.

"Hello Miss, is this seat taken?" Steve asked, gesturing the empty bar stool next to her.

"Nope, it's emp- ack!" She replied. One look at Steve and she choked and coughed into her drink.

'_Great. And I haven't even really opened my mouth yet_,' Steve thought to himself. But he continued to try nonetheless.

"So, you from around here Miss?" He started.

"ya-no. No, I'm not._ Not_ from around here." She replied, fidgeting in her seat and holding her glass close.

"Really? Where are you from then?" He pressed.

"Uh, I'm from…from the country."

"What part of the country?"

"Does it really matter?" She countered.

"No. Not at all. I figured I'd ask, that's all. Didn't mean to pry Miss." Steve replied quickly. There was an awkward silence between them as the noise of the bar continued to buzz around them.

Though Steve was oblivious to it, Tony was starting to mentally freak out. He was not supposed to run into anyone he knew. But here he was, sitting next to Steve at the bar. What was worse was that Steve was trying to hit on him, though the guy had a lot to learn.

While Steve was trying to find a way to continue the social interaction, Tony worked his brain for all possible ways to end the conversation before Steve realized who he really was. Their current situation was awkward enough as it was.

During the silence between them, Steve took the opportunity to observe her physical traits. Her hair was in that awkward stage of growing out of a short cut. Though combed back and parted to look slightly more natural and styled, it was only long enough to reach her ears. Her build was slender, not as curvy, but quite muscular in an attractive kind of way. It was a good look, slightly more masculine than feminine. Her eyes were a rich chocolate color, strongly reminding him of Tony's.

It was there that Steve mentally smacked himself. He could not be attracted to Tony. He had been through this back when he was joining the army. You couldn't serve your country if you were homosexual. Society just didn't approve. So he kept such ideas away from his thoughts. And then he met Peggy and he didn't feel like he had to fake it. But sadly, through some unfortunate events, it hadn't worked out. And now, well for now he had convinced himself that he was straight, but there something about it that wasn't too satisfying. Especially when he couldn't find the right girl.

"Would you mind giving me your name, Miss?" Steve asked, trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"My…name?" She replied, sounding lost in thought.

"Uh, yes. I would like to know your name."

"It's To– Taylor. My name is Taylor." Tony replied, quickly correcting his almost-mistake. He mentally reminded himself that while he was still Tony, his body was that of "Taylor". It was utterly annoying to be trapped in another person's body but still be you. Either way, it could have turned ugly there.

"Taylor, that's a pretty name." Steve replied, still unsure of himself but aware that what he had just said was ridiculously corny. '_Now if only Tony told me now to talk to girls…_' He thought to himself. Speaking of Tony, leave it to him to go for a woman in similar looks and name.

"So are you into baseball?" Steve asked as she stared off intently at the game on the screen.

But before she could reply, the buzzing of her cell phone cut her off. Steve knew what was coming and frowned at the infernal device as she retrieved it from her pocket.

"Sorry, but I have to take this call." Taylor replied. Before Steve could reply in turn, she hit the 'talk' brought it up to her ear and began to talk while slipping off her bar stool and heading towards the door in a rush.

'_Maybe she was waiting for somebody else. Oh well_,' Steve thought to himself as he watched her walk down the street and out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04:

Tony walked rapidly down the street, with the phone against his ear, to put as much distance between him and Steve as possible. For the first time, the call had actually been convenient.

It was Pepper calling to tell him that something strange was happening with the weather. She complained about strange weather things ever since the alien invasion. Though Tony didn't blame her for her concern and caution, he usually just ended up assuring her that it wasn't anything other worldly. That sometimes the weather was just weird.

Except this time _he_ was wrong and _she_ was right. As he came out of the bar, he realized that the strange funnel of clouds wasn't normal at all. It wasn't a tornado, those he had seen and this was different. It strangely reminded him of the footage of a teleportation from Asgard that S.H.E.I.L.D. had shown him...

"Oh no," He muttered at the sky as the realization sank in. "Pepper, I need to you prepare the suit and then take cover on the ground floor of the tower. Stay safe!" He instructed, then hung up and ran for Stark Tower.

* * *

It didn't take Tony long to get back and up to his floor. But it had taken him long enough for whoever was arriving to arrive. Tony could only hope that it was only Thor, but a sinking feeling in his gut told him it was more than _just_ Thor.

Now he just had to get his suit on.

"Oh for the love of – My boobs won't fit!" Tony shouted in frustration as the machine kept hitting his chest in an attempt to make the stubborn things fit. Tony placed his half armored hands over the chest plate and tried to help the machine smoosh them in. It was exceptionally uncomfortable, but he found success as the armor clicked into place. He then assisted the machine in attaching the rest of the suit on, missing the absent second security lock clink in the process.

"Arggh, finally!" He stubbornly shouted as he pulled the helmet over his head and ignited the rockets on his feet. Now in flight, Tony tried to ignore the discomfort in the metal shaping of the lower region of the suit. He despised the way his body had changed, like it wasn't bad enough to go through puberty once already. Though he was happy that he hadn't reached _that _time of the month yet.

By the time he reached the scene of the fight, he could see that his gut was correct. It wasn't just Thor who had come to Earth. Loki had arrived as well. How he had escaped his Asgardian prison was beyond Tony, but there was other matters to focus on. Like preventing him from leveling the city _again_.

As far as he could tell, it was only him and Thor on the scene against Loki. Tony guessed that he should consider it lucky that the sight of their landing was in the middle of the park and not in the middle of the city. But with the outcome of past encounters, Tony knew it wouldn't be long before they drew the fight into the city. Both of them had not yet realized that he was there either.

"You misunderstand brother; the victor in this fight has been predetermined by destiny! I shall emerge victorious and you, Odin's favorite son, shall fall at my hand!" Loki called aloud while striking Thor with a burst of blue Asgardian magic.

Seeing that he was needed, Tony decided that now was as good a time as any to make his entrance. And a grand entrance it was. By making the loud speakers in the park blast his arrival theme; he proceeded to attack the unsuspecting Loki with the guns on his palms as he came rocketing onto the scene.

"You know, if you're going to come to Earth you should really find a less dramatic way. It really does make quite a disturbance in the sky." Tony spoke as Loki created a magic shield to defend himself with.

"You're one to talk of dramatics Stark. You come here blaring loud, obnoxious music." Loki smiled at him. Though his smile was not entirely full of his usual mockery. Something else was hidden within it; confusion and almost-disappointment. But it was hidden well by the God of Mischief.

Tony laughed, "Well that's how I roll."

"Roll indeed. Just like your head shall at my feet!" Loki shouted as he thrust his hand forward, sending a burst of magic at Tony.

"Warning!" The suit blared in his ear mere seconds before the impact.

The force of the blast sent him flying backwards until the forces evened out. But now he was just hovering in midair with weak and uncontrolled rockets attached to his boots. Jarvis and the other computers programed into the suit had shut down; leaving him with no way to control the suit and an annoying buzz of static in his ears as he struggled to fix his predicament.

"Rebooting," a technological voice beeped, as a loading bar appeared in the screen in front of his face.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Tony muttered angrily as he watched the bar climb to 100%. "Finally!" And he was off again, rocketing at top speed.

The fight continued on, but they were no closer to defeating the Mischief God.

Between Thor and himself, Tony thought that it wouldn't be overly difficult to take him down. Especially since Loki was fighting with just his magic and nothing else. They had defeated him before on these terms; outnumbering and outgunning. Though last time there were more guns and people, maybe that was their problem.

Every attack they threw he ended up deflecting with his magic. Usually they would've gone in for a close range attack, but Loki now would just toss them away whenever they got too close.

Suddenly a red, white, and blue blur came flying through the air. Though it was aimed at Loki and probably would have hit its intended target, Loki merely tossed it aside like he did with every other attack.

"Sorry I'm late!" Steve called as he came running forward with his arm raised as he caught the spinning shield.

"Better late than never!" Tony called back at him, firing another shot from his palm.

"Welcome friend, let us fight my brother together!" Thor called, taking a moment to speak before dramatically swinging his hammer at Loki.

As the hammer went flying towards Loki, Tony followed it's movement with his eyes. As Loki cast it aside with a magic shield once more Tony thought he saw something odd in the shielding magic. A gap after its use perhaps?

"Jarvis, replay the past fifteen seconds." Tony instructed. As the screen came up in the corner of his vision, he watched the attack in slow motion. Now seeing clearly that there was a brief moment when the shield opened after knocking the hammer aside.

"Cap! Throw now!" Tony instructed.

Steve, deciding not to question, took aim and then threw his shield with excellent accuracy. Seconds before the shield made contact with the magic wall Tony took aim and fired at the shield.

His timing was perfect. Just as the magic wall opened Tony's blast slipped through. They had managed to finaly land a hit on Loki. The force behind the blast knocked the God of mischief off his feet, into the air, and then flat on his back several feet from where he had stood.

"Take that Loki!" Tony called in triumphant enthusiasm. He was now standing over Loki, both of his arms extended and palms up in preparation to attack again if necessary.

It happened too quickly for Tony to react though. With the flick of his wrist, Loki sent a burst of magic into Tony's chest at point-blank. The force of the upward blast was enough to knock the unlocked chest plate free from the rest of the suit; leaving Tony's chest exposed to the world.

His undeniably female chest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 05:

There had been a long stunned silence after the metal chest piece fell to the ground. Steve didn't know what to make of it. The person in the suit had been Tony in speech, mannerism, and fighting style. But he could clearly see that it wasn't Tony.

"You are not Ironman! What trickery be this?!" Thor suddenly demanded.

"Wait! Yes! Yes I am! See?!" The person in the suit replied quickly while taking the helmet off.

Steve's heat seemed to stop beating in his chest at the sight of her. The person under the helmet was Taylor, the girl from the bar with eyes the color of rich chocolate and short-long hair at her ears. The girl with a stunning resemblance to Tony.

"You are mistaken! Our friend is not a woman!" Thor shouted, pointing at her with his hammer.

"No wait!" Both Steve and Taylor replied in unison. There was a brief moment where the two stared at each other before Steve continued.

"No. I think she might actually _be_ Tony." Steve found himself saying. Though he was unsure why he was listening to her story, or believing it for that matter.

"Yes! Thank you!"

"I am not convinced." Thor replied, eyeing the woman in the armor with great disbelief.

"Call Bruce! Bruce Banner! He'll tell you then!" The woman replied. Thor and Steve both exchanged a look and then Steve took out the small cell phone in his pocket.

During the phone call Thor proceeded to tie Loki up in some type of Asgardian handcuff. He dismissed any and all attempts Taylor had at helping him.

"You serious? I'm not being, what do you call it?... punked?" Steve asked, eyeing the woman in the suit. '_Don't let it be true. It's bad enough that the first woman I like in decades happens to remind me of my best friend. Don't let her actually be a guy. Or my best friend for that matter_.' He pleadingly thought to himself.

"I'm dead serious Steve. I'll admit that it's weird and has pretty much no scientific reasoning behind it, but I can assure that Tony is still Tony even though he's a woman now." Bruce replied.

"How long is this going to last?" Steve questioned, his voice lower so he was sure that only Bruce could hear through the phone.

"No idea. I'm working on finding a way to reverse it, but I'm far from any progress. This thing just came out of nowhere with no rhyme or reason. He might be this way for the rest of his life or he could just as easily wake up one morning and find that he's back to normal again. It's that unpredictable."

"Uh hmm." Steve sounded as Bruce spoke. "Yeah okay. I'll tell Thor. Thanks."

"No problem." Bruce replied before he hung up.

Steve put his phone in his pocket as he walked back to the group.

"Well?" Thor asked.

"She – he, is Tony. Bruce confirmed her story." Steve replied.

"Yes! I told you!" Tony exclaimed.

"This is truly troublesome my friend. I am sorry I doubted you." Thor apologized. Before Tony could respond, however, somebody else spoke up.

"This is what my spell brought?! A change in gender of all things?!" Loki suddenly spoke, looking up at the three from his spot on the ground.

"You are behind this? Brother what have you done?!" Thor bellowed.

"It wasn't supposed to turn him into a woman. It was supposed to destroy him to assure my victory in a fight." Loki replied, glaring at Tony.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but we still beat you." Tony said with great sarcasm in his voice.

"Obviously," Loki snapped in return.

"Undo that which you have done brother!" Thor demanded.

"I don't know how! And if I did, I wouldn't. I deem this a fitting punishment for his insults in our last encounter." Loki replied, now holding a small victorious smirk on his face.

"You need to let things go man, it's not good for your health." Tony remarked, eyeing Loki with great distain.

"Fear not Tony. I may not be taught in the arts of a mage, but I am familiar with those who are. I shall return to Asgard with my troublesome brother and seek a way to rid his magic from you." Thor said in an assuring manner.

"Thanks Thor."

"I shall be off then. Come brother. Let us return you to your cell." Thor bellowed, lifting the sitting Loki to his feet, and then summoning a bolt of lightning. And just like that the two were gone, leaving Steve alone with Tony.

"So, uh, you need a hand there?" Steve asked as Tony walked over to the metal chest part of his armor that sat on the park grass.

"No, I've got this," Tony replied absently as he picked the piece up. He then proceeded to try to stuff his boobs in to get it back on. Though the way he went about it was neither modest or graceful.

"You sure?" Steve asked, finding it difficult to not look at his chest as he struggled.

"Yes. I'm sure." Tony replied through gritted teeth. His brow scrunched in frustration.

"Let me help." Steve insisted, walking closer. Tony suddenly stopped, looked at Steve for a moment, and then nodded his head.

"Yeah alright. Come here."

Steve came closer, stepping behind him and placing his hands over the upper part of the armor piece as instructed. The closeness was weird, like he was invading a personal space boundary. But it also felt oddly good standing there against Tony's back with his hands under her arms and on her chest. Even if he was separated from the pair by a thick piece of metal.

"Now push!" Tony grunted. As instructed Steve put some muscle behind his hands and pushed inward. Though he also pushed Tony into his chest in the process he did manage to get the chest piece to click into place. Tony then secured the second lock.

"Great!" Tony spoke with a gasp.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. Just a little tight. Kind of hard to breath. It's okay though, I'll take it off when I get back home." Tony replied.

"Yeah don't wear it for too long." Steve agreed.

"One more thing. Please take your hands off my chest. It doesn't help with the breathing." Tony added.

Now suddenly conscious of the fact that Steve still had his hands around Tony's waist and on his chest, he removed them quickly and tried to hide his growing feeling of embarrassment. "Uh! Sorry."

There was an awkward moment of silence that followed. In order to make up for leaving his hands on her chest, Steve picked up Tony's helmet, dusted it off, and handed it to his friend. A slightly sheepish smile upon his features.

"Thanks," Tony said as he took the helmet from Steve's outstretched hand.

"No problem," Steve replied and paused briefly before adding, "Tony."

Tony took to the sky then with his helmet back on and his chest plate locked into place once more. And then he was gone and out of sight. Steve, however, was left standing there and watching in disappointment as he soared through the sky.

He was disappointed that he hadn't realized why there was such a striking resemblance between that girl at the bar and his friend. Some part of him felt that he should have known. He was disappointed that he hadn't said more. That he hadn't found the words to express himself properly. But most importantly, Steve was disappointed in himself and what he had been thinking.

After all, he had almost called her Taylor.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06:

Days had passed since the fight with Loki. Though the cause of Tony's gender swap had been discovered at last, he was still far from reversing it. The simple fact that it was a magical issue and not a scientific one seemed to dishearten Tony. Science and technology he could handle after all. Magic was another issue altogether. Magic was the kind of thing he stayed away from.

As his discomforts in the suit worsened, he found himself unable to wear it. Its masculine build was just another reminder of what he was lousing. His life, a comfortable existence in which he knew his role, was quickly slipping away and he could do nothing to stop it.

Even his relationship with Pepper seemed strained these days. He could tell she was trying her best, but it just wasn't working for him at the moment. It wasn't enough to hear her say she was sorry all the time. He just didn't want to hear her talk about false hopes anymore.

"Thanks for coming Steve. Tony just needs, um, some _manly _advice at the moment." Pepper said as she led Steve through the house.

When she realized that her comfort alone wasn't enough to help Tony, Pepper decided to call upon the team. Though Thor had been traveling between Earth and Asgard quite frequently he had not yet discovered how to reverse Loki's magic. Thor instead insisted that a night of drinking would bring Tony back to his senses, which Pepper quickly declined on his behalf. Clint was busy with some personal business of his own. Bruce was still tucked away in his lab. He was busy trying to find a way to reverse this mess with the use of science and not magic. And then there was Steve, who had agreed to come.

"Sure. I'm glad I might be of help miss." Steve replied.

"Well, good luck then." She offered as they came to the living room entrance.

"Oh my gosh." Steve said as he entered the room. This was way worse than Pepper had said over the phone. It was odd, seeing his best friend curled up and crying her – _his_, eyes out on the couch. Tissues littered the floor around _him_ and _he_ was holding a tub of ice cream in _his_ hands. A bottle of hard liquor sat on the table accompanied by an empty glass.

He went to ask Pepper something, but found that she had walked off to another part of the house; leaving completely alone with Tony.

'_It's okay. I just need to remember that while he might be a woman on the outside, it's still him on the inside_. _He is Tony, not Taylor_.' Steve mentally reminded himself. But he couldn't keep other thoughts out of his head and in the front of his mind entirely. If only this weren't the case. That Tony had truly changed into a woman completely. This would be so much easier then.

Everything about the situation to Steve was wishful thinking for some reason. He tried to be serious about it, to be a good friend, to be understanding about the hard time that had befell his friend. But for some reason he just kept coming back to his wishful thoughts and desires. That _she_ was the woman for him.

But with effort Steve pushed such thoughts aside for the time being. And with a deep breath, Steve walked over to his friend and sat down next to him.

"Hello Tony" Steve spoke over Tony's crying.

"Hi Steve," Tony greeted with a sniffle. A tissue clutched in her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Steve asked as he put his arm around her in a comforting manner. He mentally scolded himself for the action, but found that he couldn't pull his arm away as she sank back into it.

"N-no…" She – _he_, cried in response.

"Well I think you do. So, tell me what's wrong."

"_Everything_! I'm not Iron man – woman, oh whatever! I'm not _me_ anymore! I can't do what I do! I have the emotional range of a thirteen year old girl! And, on top of it all, I have this weird idea that an entire tub of ice cream will rid me of my sorrows, but I know it'll only make me _fat_!" She cried, sinking deeper into Steve's arm.

Steve was a little surprised by how natural it felt having her sitting there in his arm. To have her sitting there with the flat part of her shoulder up against his chest. To be snuggled up this close to her while she was upset.

"Well, why don't we put the ice cream down; that solves one problem." Steve replied, taking the tub out of her hands and placing it on the table at arms distance from him. A safe distance from the emotional woman.

"It's just that nobody understands! They're trying, but they don't know what it's like to have their world just suddenly flipped on them! To still be you but to be in somebody else's body!" Taylor continued to sob. Steve knew for a fact that Bruce knew how that felt, but decided not to argue the point.

As Tony continued to talk, Steve found himself relaxing ever-so-slightly. It was easy to talk to Tony, he just had to listen and occasionally agree with everything she said. It was easier for him to listen to her, to sit there with his arm draped around her shoulder, to think of him as a woman. Everything Tony said made the latter easier to believe. The adopted mannerisms, display of emotions, and newly formed opinions perfected the illusion. Taylor really was the perfect girl.

And then Tony let the wrong thing slip, which instantly brought Steve from his thoughts.

"And on top of it all, I haven't been laid in almost two months! Do you have any idea how bad that is? Capsicle, you might be able to go decades without any action, but I can't! The whole thing infuriates me!"

Steve could tell that there was something wrong with the way Tony had suddenly arrived at this topic, he had only been talking about not being able to be Ironman a moment ago. He looked at the bottle of liquor on the table and realized that this was the alcohol talking. Steve wondered how much she had really had, since the bottle was practically empty. But her speech wasn't slurred, her eyes were in clear focus on him, the signs of being drunk weren't visibly there. Or they were well masked by the experienced playboy.

"Sorry?" Steve asked, entirely unsure of how to respond to her comment. This was an opportunity and he had a choice to make. Indulge in a desire and put his friend at risk, or leave things as they are and not risk destroying their friendship.

"It's just that every aspect of my life is just _gone_!" She continued to rave, throwing her hand out dramatically for emphasis.

"Maybe I could...be of help?" Steve suggested, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

"Cap, how could you-"

Tony was cut off as Steve's lips met with hers suddenly. Though the kiss had been brief, it was a complete surprise that left Tony speechless after their lips parted.

Steve stared into the utterly shocked eyes of Tony. The air thick with awkwardness in the tense never-ending silence. A million thoughts raced through his head. He had been wrong. He shouldn't have done that. Why had he been so impulsive? He ruined everything. He needed to get his head out of his fantasies; if he had he would've clearly seen that she – _he_, didn't feel what he felt. Things were bound to be awkward between them for awhile now.

But soon it was Steve's turn to be stunned. Tony had abruptly leaned in and kissed him a second time. Then a third time but slightly longer than just a peck on the lips. By the fourth kiss Steve had his nerve back and kissed her back.

And they just sat there, cuddled up on the couch in each other's embrace as they exchanged short little kisses, each just seconds longer than the last. Until it got to the point where they began to deepen their kisses. It was no surprise to Steve that Tony was a pro, practically dominating each kiss. There was no need for words until Steve felt a hand on his belt.

"Won't Pepper hear?" He asked while breaking out of a kiss. He had suddenly become aware that the woman was still somewhere in the house.

"Just shut up and kiss me." Taylor whispered in return.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 07:

Eventually the creeping light in the room woke Tony. He awoke to a warm bed, though it was a familiar kind of warmth. One that he knew too well. The kind of warmth that required a second person.

That was when the morning grogginess wore off and the events of the night before came back. Rolling over slightly, Tony saw Steve entangled in the sheets of his bed and still very much asleep.

'_Oh God, what have I done?_' Tony panicked.

Careful not to disturb Steve, he slipped out of bed and blindly grabbed a handful of clothes before leaving the room. The task wasn't too foreign, but he had never felt so guilty or concerned before. Or sore between his legs for that matter.

The events of the previous night swam through Tony's head as he dressed in the hallway bathroom. The experience had been enjoyable at the time. Satisfying even. He clearly remembered how natural their bodies had felt together.

But it wasn't fair! It wasn't fair for him to do that to Steve. He distinctly remembered him moaning "Taylor", not "Tony". Steve thought that he would remain a woman and Tony had no intention of doing so for the rest of his days. And what about Pepper? He had betrayed her. Oh gosh, what kind of mess had he gotten himself into now?

* * *

Tony did what he always did when he made a mess of things, he went to his lab. And in his lab he remained, skipping breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He furiously worked on the suit for the first time in days, bouncing from project to project to keep himself occupied. He needed time to sort through his thoughts and feelings.

He didn't even come out when Steve awoke and informed him that he was leaving. Instead he had Jarvis tell him goodbye. He felt bad about that, but just couldn't face him at the moment.

What could he say? That what happened the other night was a mistake and that they should forget about it? Funny how he couldn't tell Steve that but had done so in the past with countless women. That and it would be like telling a lie, to Steve and to himself. The emotions that had come over him the previous night were entirely his own and were deeper than just wanting sex. Sure he had a couple of drinks, but they had been early in the afternoon. As much as he wanted to he couldn't blame alcohol on this one either.

Tony was lost in thought as he modified a pair of boots for the suit. Pepper had some strolling into the lab an hour after dinner, he had hardly noticed, and he could tell from the first words she spoke that it wasn't good.

"Tony," She snapped to get his attention. It wall all in her tone, the way she said his name said everything. "You need to get out of the lab. You have over a hundred urgent emails to answer and- Hey!"

Fingers snapped in front of Tony's face, bringing his mind out of the project running through his thoughts to focus on her. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. That never boded well for him. But he waved his hand and turned back to the boot lying on the table in front of him.

"Relax, Peps, I'll just have Jarvis go through them later. Jarvis!"

"_Right away, Master Stark. Shall I—"_

"Jarvis, don't." Pepper snapped, frustration in her tone. "Tony, you can't keep avoiding this."

"What? I'm not—"

"Zip it. We both know you are. I know what happened last night. I saw you in the hall on your way to your _bedroom_."

"Oh." Tony replied.

"Oh? OH?! That's all you can say? Tony! I watched you sleep with hundreds of women before, but never a man!"

"Uh, well I–" Tony babbled, unable to find an acceptable excuse. To be honest he didn't even want to make an excuse.

With worry in her tone, Pepper continued. "Tony, what's happening to you? You're acting like a completely different person."

"Maybe I am?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe I've changed. Maybe my mind is following after my body? It's what happens to certain kinds of fish. Did you know that there is a type of fish that changes its gender when the alpha male dies? She becomes completely male and continues to keep the species going."

"Are you seriously comparing yourself to a _fish_?!" Pepper asked in disbelief.

"Mmm, yeah. I am." Tony replied.

"So you're just going to stay a woman then?!"

"No! Goodness no."

"Then what on earth are you doing?!"

"No idea, alright?! This is so confusing."

"Really? That's your excuse?! You're confused?"

"I am! You know what? You try switching gender! It's not easy!"

The argument continued like this for a while. Both of them snapping at each other. The argument wasn't going anywhere either. It just evolved into a shouting match, each fighting to out-do the other and have the last word on the matter. However, in the end, it was Pepper who attacked the most important unsaid question head-on.

"But who do you love more?"

"That's not fair!"

"Yes it is! I deserve to know. Who do you choose? Me or him?"

"Pepper I…I love you!" Tony replied, but there was still that split second of hesitation.

"If you really did, you wouldn't have slept with your best friend!" She countered. She had a point there. And when Tony didn't respond right away, she continued. "Look. I think we need a break. Until you can sort all this stuff out."

"No," He replied quickly. He couldn't deny that while their relationship had been strained since the gender swap, he didn't want to leave her and let go of the last bit of consistency from his "old" life. Funny, yet sad, how he now separated his life as a man and as a woman into "new" and "old".

"I've done all I can do and taken as much as I can take. I thought we had something. That _I_ mattered."

"You do!" He was pleading now.

"But not enough. Talk to Steve, maybe he can help you figure things out. You need to make a choice here Tony. You can't have it all." And then she left him standing there alone in the lab.

Tony ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He looked around at the various projects that were laid upon the scattered tables in his lab, but nothing seemed to interest him now. He had lost the desire to work on any of them.

With a sigh, he pulled out his cell phone and began to dial Steve's number.

* * *

Tony decided that inviting Steve to dinner to talk was the best idea. He wanted the conversation to be in person, not over the phone. Sadly he was not the best cook, so he settled on ordering take-out from the shawarma place around the corner.

"Tony, we need to be clear about something, what was last night to you?" Steve asked, barely touching the food on his plate.

"A really good time." Tony replied too quickly, not thinking the words through before they came from his lips. He knew he said the wrong thing the wrong way.

"So it was just another one of your one night stands?" Steve asked, his emotions reflected in those blue eyes of his. The hurt was obvious.

"No! It was nothing like that!" Tony replied, trying to fix his error. His own emotions were now starting to rise.

"Then what was it?" Steve demanded in return.

"I like you Steve, I always have. You're my best friend and some days I've wanted to be more. Last night was one of those times."

"Tony, you're all I can think about lately. To be honest, I've been in love with you since the first time we fought together. But I know how you enjoy being a playboy and I saw what you had with Pepper. I accepted that we couldn't be together then. But then I met you at the bar that night without knowing it was really you and I fell in love all over again. I thought I might finally get lucky, that I finally found the right girl. But I found out the truth, that you were that woman." Steve confessed.

"The universe is so unfair. We both admit we like each other and, when I actually change in a way that permits us to be together, we still have to be apart." Tony suddenly concluded.

"I agree the universe is unfair, but why can't we be together?" Steve asked.

"Because it's not fair to you. I'm still Tony, not Taylor. In fact, Taylor never really existed and I don't intend to stay her for the rest of my life. I'm sorry, but I don't want to pretend to be someone I'm not." And this was the truth. Tony really didn't want to lead Steve on like that. To pretend to have a shot at a relationship, a happily ever after of sorts, and then have it shot to hell as soon as his gender changed again. Tony wouldn't have a chance with him as a man, Steve just wasn't that way and he knew it. Pepper was right, he really couldn't have everything.

"Tony, I'm sorry if I pressured you to be Taylor. I'm sorry if my selfishness made you feel like you had to be someone else for me. I don't want you to be someone you aren't. I want you to be _you_ and nothing more. Can't we give that a chance?" Steve admitted in return.

"Didn't we just arrive at the conclusion that I'm not remaining a woman?" Tony replied.

"Yes. And so?" Steve responded.

"So I won't be a _woman_!" Tony reiterated sternly.

"So we'll be the same gender. So what? I realize that times have changed. New York permits these kind of relationships now, and even if it didn't I would still want to be with you. Tony, I don't care if you're a man or a woman, I'll still love you just the same. Wouldn't you?" Steve confessed.

Tony paused a moment to think before replying.

"Yes. I would still love you if I became a man again. I did before and I do now. It would be the only thing that wouldn't change when I become a man again."

And sitting across the table from him, Tony knew by the look in his eyes that they really could make things work if they gave it a shot.

Funny how it took the meddling of Loki of all people for Tony and Steve to finally realize this.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 08:

It was moving day. Tony helped Steve unload the mound of boxes from the elevator. Though none of it was Tony's he felt obliged to help his boyfriend make the move into his spacious home on top of Stark Tower as easy as possible.

Hard to believe three months had passed since the beginning of their relationship. They were still going strong despite all the barriers and hurdles they initially had to cross.

It was only last week that Tony suggested that Steve move in with him. He was relieved when Steve accepted. And now, while working on the actual moving in part, he was actually really excited about everything. This was a milestone in their relationship after all.

Speaking of relationships, Tony still remembered the conversation with Pepper as though it were yesterday.

* * *

"Well?" Pepper asked while sitting at the opposite side of the table. She had reluctantly returned to Tony's apartment when he told her that he had come to a decision and that they needed to talk.

"I've come to the conclusion that turning into a woman isn't the worst thing to ever happen to me." Tony replied matter-of-factly.

"So you're remaining a woman." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"No."

"So you're not settling for womanhood then."

"That's correct."

"So why isn't it the worst thing that's ever happened to you?" She asked, though a part of her already knew the answer.

"It's what brought Steve and me together as more than just teammates." Tony replied.

"So you're going to stay with him even when you change?"

"Yes."

"And this is what you want." Again it was not a question.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? I'm more than willing to accept your feelings and choices in life Tony, but what I don't want is you calling me up in a couple of weeks asking to get back with me. I don't want this to be a fad for you."

"This isn't a fad Pepper, it's my choice and my feelings. I've decided that this is what I want."

"Then I wish you nothing but the best Tony." It was an honest reply, but the hurt was clearly reflected in her eyes. She had hoped that Tony would choose her in the end. Too bad things didn't always work out.

* * *

Time had helped to ease their relationship. Tony still saw her while at work, though it was more of a normal secretary-boss relationship, no added benefits. And Tony didn't want them.

Everything seemed to be falling into place for Tony. Life was back on track and better than before now that Steve was a part of it.

The team had taken the news well. Clint had laughed for a solid minute until realizing that they were serious. Natasha had congratulated them. Bruce, who they thought wouldn't care either way, was happy for them as well. And when Thor returned from Asgard and heard of the news, he celebrated as if a wedding had taken place in his absence.

Thor had not only celebrated this news when he returned, but he also brought a reason to celebrate as well. He had discovered a way to reverse Loki's spell. And of course it had been used right away. Tony was Tony again in body and mind.

However this hadn't affected his relationship with Steve in the slightest, as they had both slightly feared. They continued to make it work in their own way.

The public harassed them of course, but this was to be expected. And it wasn't all that bad as long as he had Steve.

Maybe destiny really did have a way of working things out after all.


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note Of Thanks:**

Oh gosh I'm terrible at romance! I'm not even going to get into my road block with writing romance. I'm trying to get better, but it always feels like I'm forcing it! DX So sorry! This story was a major experiment, something I've never really explored before, was a challenge to write, and probably one of my best learning experiences.

I need to thank **Just A Crazy-Man** for giving me the idea behind this story. You planted a plotbunny in my head that eventually came around and smacked me in the face and would not rest until it was put into type. Seriously, I originally declined your request only to message you again after six days to inform you that I already had the first two chapters written and the others drafted. At that time I planned on writing a 5 chapter fic, but the story took on a life of its own and expanded into what it is now. My hope is that you enjoyed the end result because I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

I would also like to apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes that I missed when editing. While I know I am not the best in this department, nobody is perfect and I am trying to improve.

Additional thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed!


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